The Roan PlateauBy:Abby L. Omelia E. and Saleah C.Descriptonof theEcosystemThe Roan Plateau is a beautiful place with its beautiful wildlife and lush vegetation. The plateau forms at the southern portion of the Picenance basin, which is in the eastern portion of the Uinta basin, with Canyonlands National Park to the south. The climate her is a Mid-latitude Climate with dry winters and receives most of its precipitation in the summer and early Fall. During this time, and throughout the rest of the year, the area gets about 10.87 inches of precipitation. Maritime tropical air masses in the summer cause many conventional storms, while in the winter cold continental polar winds bring snow. The area receives average temperatures anywhere from 22.6-70.8 degrees. The growing season lasts about 141 days. One major land mark that runs through the Roan Plateau area is the Colorado River that continues to run through the state of Colorado but brings fresh water to all the wildlife and plants in the area along with Government, and Parachute creeks. Some of these animals include elk, deer, fish, black bear, fox, rabbits, and squirrels with tall Aspen and Douglas fir trees towering above providing shade and protection in some of the plateaus regions. Other plants and vegetation in this area include Sagebrush, bushes growing plentiful amounts of Chokecherries and Serviceberries, fruit and seeds. Another place of interest in the region is Anvil Point, the highest elevation in the Roan Plateau standing at 9,286 ft. Along with Anvil point one of Colorado’s tallest waterfalls is located here. The Roan Plateau itself rises 3,000 ft. above the Colorado River Valley and is one of 3 biggest plateaus in Colorado. Although this environment has much to offer to the Colorado area and many other places across the country, the large amount of oil and natural gas within the area makes it a prime place to drill. But doing so would damage the ecosystem. Read below to learn about some of the threats to this area and our conservation plan to stop them. Threats to theEcosystem and the Importance of ConservationThe drilling of oil and Natural gas -The animals in the ecosystem will lose the their habitat to humans -One of the tallest waterfalls is located her and will be damaged in the process of drilling. -If there is a possibility of an oil leak it has the potential of leaking into the river were a large part of the Colorado endangered fish life lives. -Drilling in this area will potentially kill many plants and animal life leaving only few that will take over the ecosystem without a predator to eat the and receive energy so they will breed and spread out of control.Conservation PlanTo conserve the Roan plateau, we should have the drilling company promise to only drill in places that will not affect the plateau, and to replant anything that they disturbed. The company is actually already doing this. 86% of the land they are going to drill can be drilled without disturbing the wildlife. I guess we can have our cake and eat it too! PICTURE CITATIONS Original image: 'Spring Already?' http://www.flickr.com/photos/27992815@N06/4492904053 by:
The Roan Plateau By:Abby L. Omelia E. and Saleah C. Descripton of the Ecosystem The Roan Plateau is a beautiful place with its beautiful wildlife and lush vegetation. The plateau forms at the southern portion of the Picenance basin, which is in the eastern portion of the Uinta basin, with Canyonlands National Park to the south. The climate her is a Mid-latitude Climate with dry winters and receives most of its precipitation in the summer and early Fall. During this time, and throughout the rest of the year, the area gets about 10.87 inches of precipitation. Maritime tropical air masses in the summer cause many conventional storms, while in the winter cold continental polar winds bring snow. The area receives average temperatures anywhere from 22.6-70.8 degrees. The growing season lasts about 141 days. One major land mark that runs through the Roan Plateau area is the Colorado River that continues to run through the state of Colorado but brings fresh water to all the wildlife and plants in the area along with Government, and Parachute creeks. Some of these animals include elk, deer, fish, black bear, fox, rabbits, and squirrels with tall Aspen and Douglas fir trees towering above providing shade and protection in some of the plateaus regions. Other plants and vegetation in this area include Sagebrush, bushes growing plentiful amounts of Chokecherries and Serviceberries, fruit and seeds. Another place of interest in the region is Anvil Point, the highest elevation in the Roan Plateau standing at 9,286 ft. Along with Anvil point one of Colorado’s tallest waterfalls is located here. The Roan Plateau itself rises 3,000 ft. above the Colorado River Valley and is one of 3 biggest plateaus in Colorado. Although this environment has much to offer to the Colorado area and many other places across the country, the large amount of oil and natural gas within the area makes it a prime place to drill. But doing so would damage the ecosystem. Read below to learn about some of the threats to this area and our conservation plan to stop them. Threats to the Ecosystem and the Importance of Conservation The drilling of oil and Natural gas -The animals in the ecosystem will lose the their habitat to humans -One of the tallest waterfalls is located her and will be damaged in the process of drilling. -If there is a possibility of an oil leak it has the potential of leaking into the river were a large part of the Colorado endangered fish life lives. -Drilling in this area will potentially kill many plants and animal life leaving only few that will take over the ecosystem without a predator to eat the and receive energy so they will breed and spread out of control. Conservation Plan To conserve the Roan plateau, we should have the drilling company promise to only drill in places that will not affect the plateau, and to replant anything that they disturbed. The company is actually already doing this. 86% of the land they are going to drill can be drilled without disturbing the wildlife. I guess we can have our cake and eat it too!
PICTURE CITATIONS Original image: 'Spring Already?' http://www.flickr.com/photos/27992815@N06/4492904053 by:
Original image: 'A perfect set of teeth' http://www.flickr.com/photos/45071623@N00/530536578 by: Words Original image: 'Squirrel Gymnastics' http://www.flickr.com/photos/66727626@N00/2659027715 by: James Marvin Phelps Original image: 'Coyote' http://www.flickr.com/photos/52532834@N00/171234779 by: Andrew McFarlane Original image: 'Has he gone yet?' http://www.flickr.com/photos/52538087@N00/3486811594 by: John Morris Original image: 'Chokecherry' http://www.flickr.com/photos/34153765@N04/3237533956 by: Doug Olberding Original image: 'tall' http://www.flickr.com/photos/29385617@N00/3027099187 by: John Holm Original image: 'This is not a snake! Land planarian, Bipalium kewense, on concrete driveway, 2' http://www.flickr.com/photos/32454422@N00/3087343279 by: Martin LaBarv http://www.sportsmen4responsibleenergy.org/report/colorado/roan-plateau.html http://www.ourcolorado.org/what-we-do/wilderness/wilderness-area-proposals/cccwp/roan-plateau.html http://www.ourcolorado.org/media-center/maps/roan-plateau-rivers.html (map) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/business/energy-environment/30roan.html?_r=1
INFORMATIONAL WEBSITE CITATIONS
http://www.sportsmen4responsibleenergy.org/report/colorado/roan-plateau.html http://www.ourcolorado.org/what-we-do/wilderness/wilderness-area-proposals/cccwp/roan-plateau.html http://cpluhna.nau.edu/Change/climate.htm http://cpluhna.nau.edu/Biota/subalpine_conifer.htm http://cpluhna.nau.edu/Biota/wildfire.htm